It is Clear Now
by DayDreaminDeb
Summary: Stephanie's world is upside down. She's not only somewhere she doesn't recognize...she's some time she doesn't recognize. Rated M for mild suggestive content. Babefic. Thanks to everyone for reading. I hope you enjoy it.


I do not own any characters excepting the villains and a few peripheral characters. Janet Evanovich's brilliant mind conjured the main characters up. She graciously allows us to borrow them. I am receiving no monetary or other compensation except for the joy of telling a story.

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I didn't want to get up. I really didn't. I hadn't heard the alarm clock go off, but I still heard the insistent wail of something. If it was Rex…this was a new sound. I opened one eye and jumped back with a scream when I met the serious brown eyes of a small child. He giggled…yes it was a he.

"Mommy's funny," he giggled.

"Mommy," I blinked in confusion.

"He means you Babe," Ranger said coming into the room with a curly headed baby girl with huge blue eyes. He leaned over and kissed me, "I have to get to work."

"Work," I blinked. Don't misunderstand me. I understand the meaning of work. I'd been working since I was sixteen. It was really longer than that if you count baby-sitting although most people don't. It was just that he was wearing a suit. It was a charcoal suit with a black and grey striped tie. His shoes shone. His hair was short.

"You know darling, the office I go to everyday," he smiled humorously and tapped the tip of my nose lightly with his fingertip.

Darling? I blinked up at him. Who was this guy? "Don't I have to go to work?"

"Of course darling," he nodded in agreement. "We have the dinner party tonight with the Mortons. They've requested your special pot roast. I'll see you soon."

"My special pot roast," I squeaked up at him as he put the baby on my stomach.

"It, like you, never disappoints," he smiled and left me alone.

"Ranger," I called.

He stuck his head back into the bedroom, "what did you say?"

"What do you think I said?"

"I think you said Ranger," he frowned.

"Er…Rick," I bit my lip in confusion. "Is there anything else I need to remember to do today?"

"I'd love it if you could go by the dry cleaners for me. But if you don't have time, I'll do it myself on the way home."

"Okay," I swallowed. "Have a good day," I all but whispered as he dropped a quick kiss on my head and walked away.

"Mommy…I'm hungry," the little boy said insistently. "Abby is hungry too."

"Whose Abby," I frowned.

He rolled his eyes and for the first time I thought maybe he was my child. "You're holding her," he shook his head still rolling his eyes and started out the bedroom. "You must have a fever or something."

"Yea," I agreed gazing at the baby girl studying me with my own eyes. "I think that must be it."

"I really am hungry," he insisted.

"Right," I nodded resolutely, "I have to feed the children."

To my astonishment when I got out of the bed I was wearing pajamas. I don't mean a cute little 'Hello Kitty' set or something with the Rangers hockey team on it. I mean I was wearing what appeared to be silk pajamas. My feet bumped into matching slippers as I swung them over the side of the bed and my eyes lit on the matching robe. This was not my life. I didn't match.

I got to my feet and adjusted the baby on my hip and followed the little boy downstairs. He was talking a mile a minute and I noticed that he was wearing cowboy pajamas and not pajamas with 'Transformers' or 'Ninja Turtles' on them. He was telling me that he wanted pancakes for breakfast and I was thinking that we'd have to go to Rosie's.

When I walked into the kitchen Ella was there bustling about cleaning up what had been Ranger…er I mean Rick's breakfast dishes.

"And what do you want for breakfast this morning Billy," she ruffled his black hair with a smile.

"Pancakes," he beamed up at her.

"And for you Miss Abigail," she chucked her gently under the chin and she giggled. "Would you like some pancakes too?"

"She's too little," Billy rolled his eyes.

"Well if you're certain," she winked at me and moved to the stove.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and put the baby in the high chair and the little boy in the booster seat and sank down with them. "Er Ella…Ra…Rick said he wanted me to make my special pot roast for supper tonight."

"And it is a good pot roast," she agreed.

"And do I make it myself," I asked.

"Lord Child, you haven't done that since you married Mr. Manoso. I cook the pot roast."

"That's a load off," I sighed. "I don't remember making pot roast."

"Are you feeling all right," she put the plate of pancakes in front of Billy and reached for my forehead. "You are a little warm."

"I'll be fine," I sighed. "I have to go to the cleaners and pick up Rick's dry cleaning." I began to absently feed the baby the oatmeal mixture that Ella had put down in front of me.

"I'll do that when I run to the market. I think you should rest. I'll even take Billy with me. He's a big help with the shopping."

He beamed up at me and I smiled at them, "he's a lot like his father."

"Yes he is," she agreed.

After breakfast she changed Billy and they left to do the errands. Abby went down for her morning nap and it left me to wander about the house. In the bedroom was a framed picture of Ranger and me. It was obviously a picture from our wedding. I was wearing a white dress and a veil. There was another picture of the four of us. And on the walls were pictures of the kids at various stages of their lives.

The house was full of memories of a life I didn't remember. One day I go to bed at the end of a day filled with skips I couldn't catch, garbage, broken down or blown up cars and now I was the Harriet half of Ozzie and Harriet. More than that, it was clearly the fifties or sixties.

Our television stood on spindly legs and the screen itself was somewhat rounded. There were two channels when I turned it on and they were in color, but not like when I went to bed. The radio was about the same period and when I turned it on I could hear the Fifth Dimension singing. Would I like to fly away in a beautiful balloon? I suspected I already had.

I ran my fingers over shelves filled with memories and sighed. It was a weird dream, but it was a good dream. I was married to Ranger. We had two beautiful children. We still had Ella to take care of us. I mean really, what more could I ask for. Maybe I could ask for dessert, but there was a good chance I was going to get that anyway with Ella in the house. I had to smile at the thought of Ranger eating dessert with the kids and probably getting messy. Yea, it was funny. As far as dreams go it was pretty top of the line. The only thing missing was a Ranger induced orgasm and the dream was young.

The front yard was beautiful. There were mature trees and gorgeous flowers lined the side walk. There was also a white picket fence surrounding the yard. A white picket fence? Come on! Just where the hell was I?

"Morning Mrs. Manoso," the mail carrier smiled at me and handed me the mail over the fence. "It's looking to be a beautiful August day."

"It is," I agreed trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Give Mr. Manoso my regards," he smiled and hurried off whistling. As he walked on to the next house other pajama and robe clad wives met him to take the mail with a smile. It was freaky.

In the life I remembered, the mail carrier would be carrying a stun gun for people or animals. He wouldn't have been friendly. He sure as heck wouldn't have known my name. Furthermore no woman in her right mind would be out of the house in her pajamas to collect the mail. They'd be safely tucked behind the door waiting for it to fall through the slot. Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore was the only thought running through my head.

I reached down to sniff a rather large rose blossom and sighed. We must have a gardener. I certainly didn't have a green thumb. I couldn't create a rose as lovely as this one in my wildest dreams. I giggled, actually in my wildest dreams I might be able to. Maybe I did do it.

A familiar powder blue Buick pulled into the driveway and my parents got out with a small wave. I just gaped at the car and at my parents. Freaking Ward and June Cleaver were walking up the sidewalk toward me. Oh my Lord!

"Darling are you okay," my mother said hurrying toward me.

I blinked at her in shock. My mother was always a modestly dressed woman. But today she was wearing a yellow shift dress, white pumps, a soft white summer sweater and a string of pearls. For God's sake the woman had on a white hat with yellow flowers on it. "M…Mom," I blinked. I struggled for any rational thought or idea to grasp on to. "That's Uncle Sandor's Buick."

"He lent it to us while ours is in the shop," my father shrugged.

"In the shop," I repeated blankly.

"Just a tune up dear," he smiled reassuringly as he took a pipe from his pocket and studied the contents of the bowl.

"But that car…," I whispered as the dizziness started to overwhelm me.

"Catch her Frank, I think she's about to faint," my mother said in a whispering shriek.

And my father dressed in light slacks and a button down blue shirt did as he was told. "Are you all right pumpkin," he asked.

"Daddy…something is horribly wrong."

"What's wrong Pumpkin," he asked in concern.

"I went to bed yesterday after work and it was 2008, I woke up this morning in 1960."

"Don't be silly darling," my mother said absently tightening my belt robe, "it's 1967."

I swallowed, "it is?"

"Of course," she said robustly. "You just need some rest. You do far too much around the house. You need to let Ella do her job darling. She's there to serve you and not vice versa." She turned to my father, "just yesterday she was in the kitchen making a cake for heaven's sake Frank."

"Maybe she likes to bake Ellen," my father said raising his brow. "You like to bake."

"This is Stephanie dear," she reminded him.

He frowned down at me in concern.

As I saw the look my parents exchanged I realized that the Stephanie who lived in my 1967 dream appeared to have many of the same attributes of the Stephanie who lived in 2008. In other words, I didn't cook. I didn't want to cook. I wasn't domestic. The flowers probably weren't my doing I thought with a sigh.

Daddy studied me another minute. "Maybe you do need some rest pumpkin. I'll tell you what…Mom and I will stay here and help Ella get ready for the dinner party tonight and you just rest. Rick needs to be at your best tonight."

"The Mortons are important," I asked.

"Very," my mother nodded emphatically.

"All right," I sighed. They hustled me into the bedroom and put me to bed. I have to admit that any other time I'd been forced to go to bed and just sleep I'd have been delirious with glee. Certainly in 2008 I would have been overjoyed to have the opportunity to have a good lie abed. But this was 1967 and I was freaking out...on the inside...and I couldn't even relax enough to sleep. This time even my thinking position wasn't helping me sleep. There was just too much weirdness.

Grandma Mazur bustled into the bedroom and dropped down beside me. "Ellen says you're sick. Are you sick?" She reached for my forehead and lay the back of her hand it against it. "You don't feel warm to me."

"I don't know Grandma," I looked at her. She looked almost the same except she had on a pair of slacks. It meant I didn't have to see her knobby knees or her bony legs. I have to say it was quite refreshing. I was finding more and more about this dream to like. "I like your slacks Grandma."

She tittered with laughter, "your mother thinks it's scandalous for me to be wearing pants in public. She says a lady wouldn't do such a thing."

"Does she," I shook my head with a smile.

"She just doesn't keep up with the times dear. Now…are you pregnant? I remember when you were pregnant with Billy you were a little scatter brained then too. Quite frankly I'm surprised you could even get pregnant since I'm sure Ellen never gave you the talk."

"And you didn't," I raised a challenging brow at her and smiled.

"Shhh, that's our secret," she laughed. "I think if Rick was here in bed with you…you'd be just fine. You didn't have two children without some happy moments."

Stephanie laughed, "I doubt there could be an unhappy moment in here."

"That's my girl," she patted my thigh. "I brought you a book. Don't let your mother see it. It's scandalous," she whispered the last and took the book out of her purse and slid it toward me. "You're going to love it." Then she got up and hurried out.

I turned the book over. It was **Valley of the Dolls** by Jacqueline Susann.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret now. I'm not really a reader. I don't like to read. My sister says it's not because I don't have the imagination for it. I just don't like anyone else directing my imagination. She could be right. But these were desperate times. I had no jeans. There was no shower massager. And it was eleven years before I was even friggin born. I opened the book.

When Ranger came home I was lying on my stomach on the bed fully engrossed in the book.

"What has your attention," he asked sitting down beside me.

"Grandma brought me a book," I rolled over to show him the cover.

He raised a brow, "Babe?"

I grinned, "Yea…it's scandalous."

He laughed, "That's what I love about you Babe."

"Is it," I pulled him down by his tie to kiss him.

"Well," he said softly against my lips, "it's not my favorite thing."

I smiled up at him, "this has been the weirdest day."

"Why is it weird," he asked pushing the curls back from my face.

"If I tell you, you'll lock me up and throw away the key."

"Please Babe…this is me."

I contemplated telling him. "Okay…let's do it this way. Let's have a hypothetical situation."

"That sounds reasonable," he nodded.

"Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that it's 2008."

"2008," he frowned.

"You know the year 2008," she explained. "Anyway…it's 2008 and I'm working for my cousin Vinnie's Bail Bonds office in Trenton as a Bond Apprehension Agent. I met you because when I went to work there they asked you to sort of train me."

"Me," he laughed.

"Yea because you're an ex-Army Ranger and general bad ass and the best bounty hunter in Trenton…maybe in the world," I explained.

"Right," he nodded with an amused smile.

"Anyway, you own Rangeman which is a security firm that does various things pertaining to a person or business' security. Occasionally I work in your office doing research. Anyway…we're close. I have a on again, off again boyfriend named Joe Morelli."

"Joe Morelli," he howled with laughter. "You're kidding. Look darling, just because you dated him in high school…"

I glared at him, "are you going to listen or not?" So I dated Morelli in high school in this dream? I only hoped the whole Tasty Cakes thing never happened. I couldn't be sure about the Choo-Choo thing either. I sighed.

"I'm listening," he said straightening his face.

"But now…Joe and I are off again forever. But while you've always said that if he ever left me alone long enough you'd be there…you haven't made your move."

"I'm an idiot in 2008," he smiled kissing my head.

"Yes you are. But you're a genius too," I sighed.

"Thank you," he nodded and rewarded me with another kiss.

"You're welcome," I sighed. "Anyway…so there I am working as a bounty hunter and I'm not the best in the world at it. I struggle to make ends meet and that's why you always give me side jobs."

"I'm a swell guy," he grinned.

"Fantastic," I agreed rolling my eyes. I liked the 1967 Ranger for a lot of reasons. But he sure was more talkative than the 2008 Ranger. There was a lot to be said for the one syllable Ranger. "Then one night after a particular trying day of failing at my job, getting garbage dumped on me, having my last crap car blown up and of course no sex…I go to sleep…alone…and I wake up in 1967."

He was quiet a moment, "crappy?"

I sighed, "It means really awful. It's slang in 2008."

He nodded thoughtfully, "can you answer a question for me?"

"Sure," I nodded.

"Do you like it here?"

I sighed and looked around, "there are things about it I really like. I like the house. I like having Ella to take care of us. The kids are great. They cuddled with me this afternoon when they napped with me. They're so adorable. I'm married to the love of my life. It doesn't suck."

"Suck," he raised a brow.

"It's not crappy," I supplied.

He smiled, "then there's no problem."

"Except I don't know how to live my life Rick," I said miserably.

"Oh," he nodded thoughtfully, "then I'll help you remember."

"Okay," I nodded. I never thought I was cracked up to be a Burg wife, but then I lived in the next century…hell the next millennium. If I had been born in er…oh my God…1937 I'd probably be a great Burg wife. Probably. Maybe. I met his eyes, "all right. If you'll help me remember, I'll do my very best." After all, this was just a dream and more than likely I'll wake up in a little while feeling a bit lost without him again. I sighed.

"All right," he sat up straight. "The first thing to do is get you ready for the party. Mary Lou is here and she's going to get you ready. If I may request it…I would love it if you wore the blue cocktail dress."

"Sure," I nodded in resignation.

"Don't worry Babe. We'll figure this out."

When Mary Lou came into the bedroom part of my life returned to normal. She helped me get ready and we giggled over **The Valley of the Dolls**. She was reading it too. She agreed it was scandalous, but oh so good. The blue cocktail dress was actually quite lovely. When Mary Lou finished my hair brushing it into a lovely flip, it was actually pretty. Of course, she put about an entire can of **Aqua Net** on my head. But it worked. I guess some Burg things never change.

When the Mortons arrived I was dressed and ready to do my duty as hostess.

I knew what my job was. I'd seen enough episodes of **Bewitched **to have a clue. So I sat in the chair and smiled sweetly and agreed with everything everyone said. Ranger manned the bar. He brought me one cocktail which I nursed for a long time.

We went in to dinner and Ella served the soup. We were having a new recipe of hers. It was a broccoli cheese and it was delicious. We finished the soup and we went to get the children so they could say goodnight to the Mortons.

I carried Abby into the room and Ranger had Billy.

"Hi," Billy waved from his father's arms.

"Oh Billy you've become such a little gentleman," Mrs. Morton oohed.

"Thank you," he said seriously.

"And your little sister is…"

"More like her mother every day," Ranger smiled and kissed the top of her curly head.

"Dog," she removed her hand from her mouth and pointed.

"Did you say dog," I beamed at her. It was the first word I'd actually heard the child say.

Ella came through the swinging door to the kitchen with the pot roast in her hands. She was smiling…for a moment.

"Dog," Abby repeated emphatically and pointed again.

As Ella put the pot roast on the table the dog, who looked suspiciously like Bob, came running into the room and jumped up on the table with muddy paws tracking through the house and grabbed the pot roast and ran off via Mrs. Morton's lap toward the stairs. I watched the entire thing as though it was in slow motion. That's the cool thing about dreams you can do that.

Mrs. Morton was screeching and Mr. Morton and Ella were trying to clean the muddy paw prints and pot roast drippings off her silk dress.

"Billy," Ranger said softly.

"It's Bob," he bit his lip tearfully.

"Bob," Ranger raised a brow.

"He followed m…m…meeee home," he said as he sobbed.

"Dog," Abby said putting her little fingers back into her mouth.

"That's right Abby," I said serenely, "that was a dog." I couldn't stop the grin on my face. This was what my life would really be like if I lived in 1967. Even a change of time couldn't stop the chaos.

I slid over to the Morton's, "I am so sorry. Billy can't stand seeing a stray. I usually deal with these things myself, but I've been a little under the weather."

Mr. Morton sighed, "I understand Mrs. Manoso. I'm sure you'll understand if I take Barbara home?"

"Of course," I nodded. "Please let us do this again soon when I'm more up to par and I'll guarantee the safety of you and your clothes."

A smile cracked his face, "we'd love to, wouldn't we Barbara?"

"Of course," she offered me her hand. "And we'll listen to you a bit closer next time young lady." She patted Abby's curly head and they left stopping by Ranger and Billy to reassure them.

"I'll clean this mess up," Ella sighed.

"No you won't," I said with a shake of the head. "You've done enough today. Go to bed. I'll clean it up. My hooligan child caused it."

"I should have suspected something," she said seriously. "He wanted to stay in his room all afternoon."

Ranger winced, "maybe I better check on the state of his room and take Bob for a walk."

"Good idea," I nodded.

He took Abby from me and headed up the stairs with both of our children and I began cleaning up the mess. I put the remaining food away and cleaned all the surfaces. I wiped up all the paw prints throughout the house and when I went up the stairs Ranger was reading the children a bedtime story. He was reading **Green Eggs & Ham** by Dr. Seuss. That was another thing that would never change I thought with a smile. I stood there for a long while listening and watching and putting that mental snapshot away for all the lonely days ahead. It was something to hope for. Maybe I had more Burg in me than I thought because I wanted nothing more than to see that picture in my real life.

I went back down to the kitchen and made a tray of sandwiches, potato salad and chips along with chocolate cake that would have been dessert and took it upstairs to the master bedroom.

Ranger was sitting on the side of the bed in his boxer shorts sighing. I put the tray down and he pulled me between his spread legs, "you know…if you wanted a quiet night at home all you had to do was say so."

I laughed and kissed his head and turned around, "will you unzip me?"

"Living with you is always an adventure."

"What did you find out about Bob," I asked slipping out of the dress and putting it on a hanger.

"He seems to be a stray. The room wasn't too bad. He was hungry, now he's been fed."

"Billy wants to keep him?"

"Of course," he agreed.

"We'll train him," I smiled stripping all of my clothes as he watched me. I pulled a nightgown over my head.

He pulled me to him and nuzzled my breast. "You forgot one article of clothing," he said as his hands slid up under the gown.

"Did I," I smiled.

Much later after we made love a couple of times and ate our dinner including the chocolate cake we curled together in the bed with contented sighs.

"Steph," he murmured in my ear as I was about to drift off.

"Hmmm," I sighed.

"I wouldn't have our life any other way than chaotic. I know you worry sometimes, but I love you. I also love that life with you is a little chaotic."

I smiled and kissed his chest, "that's good because no matter what century we're in, it's still going to be that way."

"Yea," he raised a brow in that familiar way of his.

"Yea," I agreed and drifted off to sleep.

I was so sleepy. I didn't want to open my eyes. I knew that if I did it was likely Billy would be there to scare the bejesus out of me. But there were things that didn't make any sense. I could hear distant beeping of machinery. It seemed distant to me, and yet it was close. Everything seemed out of proportion to me especially the oversized tongue in my mouth that absolutely had to be mine since my mouth was closed. I heard a bustle of movement and tried to open my eyes again. I could be in trouble. It wouldn't be the first time. Maybe my life depended on me opening my eyes. I sighed, if that was the case I'd be dead soon.

"Are you awake," the soft voice said.

"Hmmm," I agreed.

"Ms. Plum you're in the hospital. You've had some critical injuries but we think you're going to be fine."

"I'm Mrs. Manoso," I babbled.

"Honey, you're not the only one who wishes that," she laughed.

I could hear her bustle away.

A few seconds later, another person entered the room and I could smell Ranger's familiar scent.

"Babe," he sank to the chair beside my bed and sighed, "what happened?"

"I wish I knew," I sighed and forced my eyes open. He was Ranger again with his long black hair back in a tie. "Have you thought about how gorgeous you'd be with short hair?"

"Mrs. Manoso," he raised a brow.

"I was dreaming," I said with a sigh.

"Oh yea," he grinned.

"It was 1967 and we had two kids and a dog. Life was chaos."

"Babe with you," he smiled, "that's all it could be."

"I know," I said with a slight smile, "but you didn't seem to mind."

He climbed into the bed with me and took me carefully into his arms and kissed my head, "and I never will."


End file.
